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A overrated and useless battle formation given too much importance in TV serials and popular fictions based on the Mahabharata.

This chakravyuha did not help the Kauravas or the Pandavas in any instance, it was easily a handicap and caused more harm to the Kuru army than good.

It means: “any circular array of troops” Sanskrit Dictionary for Spoken Sanskrit

Drona claimed that this formation couldnt be penetrated by even gods:

“Today I will also form an array that impenetrable by the very gods.”

Here is its description:

“On the other hand, the array formed by Drona, O king, looked resplendent. Indeed, that array was incapable of being looked at like the sun himself when in his course he reaches the meridian and scorches (everything underneath).”

It was described as a formation which could not be gazed/stared upon. Somehow it was invisible to the human eye.

Drona Parva: Abhimanyu-badha Parva: Section XXXI

Why yudhishthir ordered Abhimanyu:

“Beholding Drona advancing in rage. Yudhishthira thought of diverse means for checking his progress. At last, regarding Drona incapable of being resisted by any one else, Yudhishthira placed that heavy and unbearable burden on the son of Subhadra.”

The son of Subhadra is Abhimanyu, it was believed by Yudhisthir that no one else could check Drona besides Abhimanyu.

Here is the plan of Yudhishthir -

"Yudhishthira said, 'Break this array once, O foremost of warriors, and make a passage for us. All of us will follow thee in the track by which thou wilt go. In battle, thou art equal to Dhananjaya himself. Seeing thee enter, we shall follow thee, protecting thee on all sides.'

Here is the plan of Bhima -

"Bhima said, 'I myself will follow thee, and Dhrishtadyumna and Satyaki, and the Panchalas, and the Prabhadrakas. After the array once is broken by thee, will enter it repeatedly and slay the foremost warriors within it.'

Drona Parva: Abhimanyu-badha Parva: Section XXXIII

They wanted Abhimanyu to break the Chakravyuha then make a pathway for them, to enter after him and then protect him.

The plan was foiled by Jayadratha but in the end it didn’t do anything well for the Kauravas, they killed one warrior (Abhimanyu) yet lost more than 25 percent of their army (which would be millions of warriors).

“The boy of mighty arms having penetrated the impenetrable array, shall range within it fearlessly and send a fourth part of the hostile force, in course of half a day, unto the regions of the king of the dead.”

Adi Parva: Sambhava Parva: Section LXVII

I call this formation (Chakravyuha) useless because of how much the Kauravas lost just to kill one man. What happened? What did they gain? They only lost. This is no victory its another defeat.

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Shalya respect thread.

He is the character who Krishna considers superior to his own three students (Krishna was “Parshuram” in a previous life):

“I think that the ruler of the Madras is in battle equal to Bhishma or Drona or Karna, or perhaps, superior to them. I do not, O ruler of men, even upon reflection, find the warrior who may be a match for Shalya while engaged in fight.”

Shalya Parva: Section 7

Anyways Krishna may have either been lying or telling the truth but the fact is that he held Shalya in a high regard, believed him to be a very powerful warrior.

He was an all rounder, one of the few supreme mace fighters in the epic. His encounters with Bhima prove this fact.

Incident 1 (11th day)

“Struck by the ruler of Madras with his mace on both the left and the right side, Bhima moved not in the least, like a hill riven by the thunder. Similarly, the mighty ruler of Madras, struck by Bhima with his mace, patiently stood still like a hill struck with the thunder. Both of them, with upraised maces, endued as they were with great impetus, fell upon each other, coursing in shorter circles. Quickly nearing each other, then by eight steps and falling upon each other like two elephants, they suddenly struck each other with those maces of theirs made entirely or iron. And each of those heroes, in consequence of the other's impetuosity and violence being struck with each other's mace, fell down at the same instant of time like a couple of Indra's poles.”

Note that both him and Bhima became unconscious, think about how much physical strength Shalya would have.

Drona Parva: Dronabhisheka Parva: Section XV

Incident 2 (18th day)

“The noise made by the blows of the maces of those two lions among men was heard on all sides like successive peals of thunder. Having ceased for a moment, those two warriors of great energy once more began, with uplifted maces, to career in closer circles. Once more the clash took place between those two warriors of superhuman feats, each having advanced towards the other by eight steps, and each assailing the other with his uplifted iron club. Then, wishing to get at each other, they once more careered in circles. Both accomplished (in the use of the mace) they began to display their superiority of skill. Uplifting their terrible weapons, they then again struck each other like mountains striking each other with their crests at the time of an earthquake. Exceedingly crushed with each other's mace in consequence of each other's strength, both those heroes fell down at the same timelike a couple of poles set up for Indra's worship.”

Shalya Parva: Section 12